Wednesday, 30 July 2014

Fujitsu General Digital Disaster Prevention Radio start of operation at Ishinomaki, Miyagi

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Fujitsu General Digital Disaster Prevention Radio start of operation at Ishinomaki, Miyagi

 

富士通ゼネラル デジタル防災無線 石巻市で運用開始

 

富士通ゼネラル(神奈川県川崎市高津区)は7月25日、富士通ゼネラルなどが受注した宮城県石巻市のデジタル防災行政無線が運用を開始したと発表した。

 

市内全域への素早い情報周知が可能になった。

 

富士通ゼネラルによると、宮城県石巻市の従来のシステムはアナログ方式。

 

複数の自治体が合併した後も従来の伝達方式を継続していたため、情報伝達のスピードで課題があったという。

 

今回のデジタル化により、避難勧告などの一斉通報のほか、市役所と各総合支所の双方向通信などが実現した。

 

事業費は約22億円。

 

富士通ゼネラルの広報担当者は「市内にはまだ仮設住宅が多く、一部では無線が聞こえにくい地域もある。今後も屋外にスピーカーの増設などを計画しており、震災からの復興事業に貢献したい」と話している。

 

(神奈川新聞、2014年7月26日)

 

 

Fujitsu General Digital Disaster Prevention Radio start of operation at Ishinomaki, Miyagi

 

July 25, Fujitsu General Limited (Takatsu-ku, Kawasaki City, Kanagawa Prefecture) announced Digital Disaster Prevention Radio for Ishinomaki City, such as Fujitsu General has received an order from Miyagi Prefecture, has started the operation.

 

Quick information announcement to the entire city has become possible.

 

According to Fujitsu General, the conventional system of Ishinomaki City, Miyagi Prefecture was analog system.

 

Because of it had continued to transmit the conventional system even after a plurality of municipalities merged, there was a problem in the speed of information transmission.

 

The digitization of this time, as well as Broadcast, such as evacuation, are realized two-way communication of each general branch office and City Government Hall.

 

The project cost is about 2.2 billion yen.

 

A spokesman of Fujitsu General said, "In some areas temporary housing is still many in the city, radio is hard to hear in some places. We plan to include additional speakers outdoors in the future, we want to contribute to the reconstruction projects from the Northern East Great Earthquake."

 

(Kanagawa Shimbun, 26 Saturday July 2014 The Roman)

(Translated: R.S.F. toshiki speed news press, Agence France-Presse, 30 Wednesday July 2014 The Roman)

 

iPhones allow extraction of deep personal data, researcher finds

iPhones allow extraction of deep personal data, researcher finds

 

[caption id="attachment_346" align="alignnone" width="300"]92c0ff22-e223-401a-845b-a82269db958d_16x9_600x338 ('There's no way to `unpair' except to wipe your phone,' the researcher said. (Courtesy of Shutterstock))[/caption]

 

Personal data including text messages, contact lists and photos can be extracted from iPhones through previously unpublicized techniques by Apple Inc employees, the company acknowledged this week.

 

The same techniques to circumvent backup encryption could be used by law enforcement or others with access to the "trusted" computers to which the devices have been connected, according to the security expert who prompted Apple's admission.

 

In a conference presentation this week, researcher Jonathan Zdziarski showed how the services take a surprising amount of data for what Apple now says are diagnostic services meant to help engineers.

 

Users are not notified that the services are running and cannot disable them, Zdziarski said.

 

There is no way for iPhone users to know what computers have previously been granted trusted status via the backup process or block future connections.

 

"There's no way to `unpair' except to wipe your phone," he said in a video demonstration he posted Friday showing what he could extract from an unlocked phone through a trusted computer.

 

As word spread about Zdziarski's initial presentation at the Hackers on Planet Earth conference, some cited it as evidence of Apple collaboration with the National Security Agency.

 

Apple denied creating any "back doors" for intelligence agencies.

 

"We have designed iOS so that its diagnostic functions do not compromise user privacy and security, but still provides needed information to enterprise IT departments, developers and Apple for troubleshooting technical issues," Apple said.

 

"A user must have unlocked their device and agreed to trust another computer before that computer is able to access this limited diagnostic data."

 

But Apple also posted its first descriptions of the tools on its own website, and Zdziarski and others who spoke with the company said they expected it to make at least some changes to the programs in the future.

 

Zdziarski said he did not believe that the services were aimed at spies.

 

But he said that they extracted much more information than was needed, with too little disclosure.

 

Security industry analyst Rich Mogull said Zdziarski's work was overhyped but technically accurate.

 

"They are collecting more than they should be, and the only way to get it is to compromise security," said Mogull, chief executive officer of Securosis.

 

Mogull also agreed with Zdziarski that since the tools exist, law enforcement will use them in cases where the desktop computers of targeted individuals can be confiscated, hacked or reached via their employers.
"They'll take advantage of every legal tool that they have and maybe more," Mogull said of government investigators.

 

Asked if Apple had used the tools to fulfill law enforcement requests, Apple did not immediately respond.

 

For all the attention to the previously unknown tools and other occasional bugs, Apple's phones are widely considered more secure than those using Google Inc's rival Android operating system, in part because Google does not have the power to send software fixes directly to those devices.

 

(Reuters, San Francisco)

 

(Al Arabiya News, 26 Saturday July 2014 The Roman)

 

Sunday, 27 July 2014

Gallery : SG8002DC-4.1943 MHz

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Gallery : SG8002DC-4.1943 MHz

 

[caption id="attachment_335" align="alignnone" width="300"]DSCN0064 (Photo AFP – Toshiki Shirose)[/caption]

 

This is the Crystal Oscillator IC SG8002DC-4.1943 MHz, 5 Volts type.

 

This IC is 4 pin.

 

IC size is 8 pin.

 

We bought this Crystal Oscillator IC for YAMAHA YMZ294.

 

Pin Diagram will be later.

 

Front the most left side is No.1 pin.

 

(Photo AFP – Toshiki Shirose)

 

(R.S.F. toshiki speed news press, Agence France-Presse, 27 Sunday July 2014 The Roman)

Gallery : YAMAHA YMZ294

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Gallery : YAMAHA YMZ294

 

[caption id="attachment_331" align="alignnone" width="300"]DSCN0062 (Photo AFP – Toshiki Shirose)[/caption]

 

This is the Sound IC YAMAHA YMZ294.

 

Voltage is 5 Volts, clock is 4 MHz or 6 MHz, 18 pin.

 

 

YAMAHA YMZ294 is the Sound Generator LSI that equivalent of YAMAHA YM2149.

 

YAMAHA YMZ294 is sound compatible with YAMAHA YM2149.

 

YAMAHA YMZ294 and YAMAHA YM2149 are SSG sound chip.

 

SSG is Software-controlled Sound Generator, the famous sound card Mockingboard for Apple 2 series is with General Instrument AY-3-8910 x 2 and General Instrument AY-3-8910 is SSG sound chip.

 

YAMAHA YMZ294 and YAMAHA YM2149 includes General Instrument AY-3-8910 SSG sound chip.

 

There are sound compatibility and software programming compatibility with General Instrument AY-3-8910 and YAMAHA YMZ294 and YAMAHA YM2149.

 

GI (General Instrument) AY-3-8910 and YAMAHA YMZ294 and YAMAHA YM2149 are called PSG (Programmable Sound Generator) too.

 

 

How about music sound for PIC Micro Computer by us ?

 

There are many sound demo for YAMAHA YMZ294 and YAMAHA YM2149 in Internet.

 

There are many 8-bit personal computers that uses YAMAHA YM2149.

 

You may know YAMAHA YM2149 game sounds.

 

 

YMZ294 is, 3 waves, 1 noise, 8 octave, SSG (PSG) sound IC.

 

Data bus is 8-bit.

 

Mixed analog sound is from mixed analog out pin.

 

Sample circuit and sample program for PIC16F84A is in datasheet with YMZ294.

 

Pin Diagram will be later.

 

Front the most left side is No.1 pin.

 

(Photo AFP – Toshiki Shirose)

 

(R.S.F. toshiki speed news press, Agence France-Presse, 27 Sunday July 2014 The Roman)

 

PIC RA - Direct Bus - * -> YAMAHA YMZ294 Control (3 ~4 port)

PIC RB - Direct Bus - * -> YAMAHA YMZ294 Data bus (8 port)

PIC RC Serial ROM, Serial RAM

PIC USB PC Keyboard, Memory Disk(?)

PIC CLK EPSON SG series

PIC Voltages 3.3 Volts

PIC CLK EPSON SG series or CLK from PIC Board (1/4 CLK)

YAMAHA YMZ294 Sound Board Voltages 5 Volts

SPEAKER On YAMAHA YMZ294 Sound Board

* Connection IC

(?)

 

We use PIC CPU Direct Bus and Serial Bus and USB (?)

 

PIC CLK is 16 MHz or 24 MHz (?)

 

YAMAHA YMZ294 Sound Board control is from PIC Board and software

 

(Circuit Draft Copyright Toshiki Shirose, The Family of Chichibu and The Caliph Shirose Military)

 

(R.S.F. toshiki speed news press, Agence France-Presse, 27 Sunday July 2014 The Roman)

 

We can use PIC16F1717, PIC16F1718, PIC16F1719.

 

Homework: Check PIC16F1717, PIC16F1718, PIC16F1719.

 

(R.S.F. toshiki speed news press, Agence France-Presse, 27 Sunday July 2014 The Roman)

 

We may replace PIC16F84A to PIC16F1717/8/9 for an example program in YAMAHA YMZ294 datasheet.

 

This example program uses generic I/O. (We must change constant in header of an example program (?). EQU means Equal.)

 

(R.S.F. toshiki speed news press, Agence France-Presse, 27 Sunday July 2014 The Roman)

 

Serial ROM is 256 K ( 256 / 8 = 32 K bytes).

 

Serial RAM is 256 K ( 256 / 8 = 32 K bytes).

 

Total 64 K bytes.

 

(?)

 

(R.S.F. toshiki speed news press, Agence France-Presse, 27 Sunday July 2014 The Roman)

 

Test circuit will be later.

 

We must buy Logic Analyzer or Oscilloscope.

 

(R.S.F. toshiki speed news press, Agence France-Presse, 27 Sunday July 2014 The Roman)

 

Serial ROM is 128 K ( 128 / 8 = 16 K bytes).

 

Serial RAM is 256 K ( 256 / 8 = 32 K bytes).

 

Total 48 K bytes

 

Bank RAM 16 K bytes.

 

(?)

 

Bank RAM can make over 64 K bytes. (ex) 128 K bytes)

 

(R.S.F. toshiki speed news press, Agence France-Presse, 27 Sunday July 2014 The Roman)

 

 

Saturday, 26 July 2014

Gallery : SG8002DC-20 MHz

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Gallery : SG8002DC-20 MHz

 

[caption id="attachment_306" align="alignnone" width="300"]DSCN0060 (Photo AFP – Toshiki Shirose)[/caption]



 


This is the Crystal Oscillator IC SG8002DC-20 MHz, 3.3 Volts type.

 

This IC is 4 pin.

 

IC size is 8 pin.

 

Pin Diagram will be later.

 

Front the most left side is No.1 pin.

 

(Photo AFP – Toshiki Shirose)

 

Copyright © 2014 AFP. All rights reserved.

 

(R.S.F. toshiki speed news press, Agence France-Presse, 26 Saturday July 2014 The Roman)

 

Gallery : PIC16F84A

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Gallery : PIC16F84A

 

[caption id="attachment_289" align="alignnone" width="300"]DSCN0036 (Photo AFP – Toshiki Shirose)[/caption]

 

This is the PIC CPU 8-bit, PIC16F84A.

 

20 MHz, 3.3 Volts type.

 

This is on the jewelry box on our digital work desk.

 

Digital IC are the jewels.

 

This is one of understanding for personal computers, by SPEED.

 

Front the most left side is No.1 pin.

 

(Photo AFP – Toshiki Shirose)

 

Copyright © 2014 AFP. All rights reserved.

 

(R.S.F. toshiki speed news press, Agence France-Presse, 26 Saturday July 2014 The Roman)

 

We bought Nikon COOLPIX 3100 for taking photographs of IC.

 

Macro lens is a good for taking photographs of IC.

 

Copyright © 2014 AFP. All rights reserved.

 

(R.S.F. toshiki speed news press, Agence France-Presse, 26 Saturday July 2014 The Roman)

Friday, 25 July 2014

IBM's Watson advises US soldiers on life after service

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IBM's Watson advises US soldiers on life after service

 

IBM's Watson supercomputer is putting its real-world smarts to work helping the United States soldiers transition back to civilian lives.

 

Virtual intelligence created by IBM and proven in a victorious run on trivia television game show "Jeopardy" has been woven into a Watson Engagement Advisor application to counsel members of the military and their families how to smartly manage shifting to life after stints in the service.

 

USAA, which provides insurance, investment, retirement and other financial services to members of the United States armed forces is fielding what was billed by IBM as the first commercial Watson application.

 

"Putting Watson into the hands of consumers is a critical milestone toward improving how we work and live," IBM Watson Group senior vice president Mike Rhodin said in a release Tuesday.

 

"We believe this new service can help men and women who served their country gain timely and relevant insights into the steps they need to successfully move to civilian life."

 

Watson analyzed thousands of documents regarding rules, requirements and rights related to soldiers leaving the military and can answer natural language questions on the topic, according to IBM.

 

Members of the military using a USAA application for mobile devices can "ask Watson" questions such as how best to write a resume or make the most of GI Bill benefits.

 

"Through this experience, we expect to learn how intelligent assistants like IBM Watson can help service members who may not know exactly where or how to start the daunting transition process," USAA executive vice president of member experience Shon Manasco said.

 

With Watson, IBM has set out to let people interact with computers in ways as natural as chatting with a brilliant friend.

 

Last month, IBM put a chef's hat on Watson supercomputer in an initiative launched with magazine Bon Appetit, seeking to use Big Data for gastronomy.

 

An app unveiled in test version called "Chef Watson with Bon Appetit" aims at helping cooks "draw on Watson's advanced cognitive capabilities to create entirely new recipes and gastronomic combinations that have previously never been conceived," IBM said.

 

The military is the latest proving ground for Watson, which has been working on fighting cancer and other medical applications after its "Jeopardy" run.

 

Copyright © 2014 AFP. All rights reserved.

 

(Agence France-Presse, 23 Wednesday July 2014 The Roman)

 

Thursday, 24 July 2014

Windows Server 2003 support ends 2015

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Windows Server 2003 support ends 2015

 

ウインドウズサーバー2003サポート終了まで1年 移行サービス注力

 

米マイクロソフトが提供するサーバー向け基本ソフト(OS)「Windows Server 2003」が2015年7月15日(日本時間)でサポートを終了する。

 

期限があと1年に迫ったことを受け、IT各社は特設サイトを開設するなどして、移行サービスの提案に力を入れている。

 

富士ソフト(横浜市中区)は7月8日、特設サイト「らくらくサーバー移行コンシェルジュ」を開設。

 

新サーバーに切り替える作業や、クラウドへの移行などのサポートを提案している。

 

「業務のアプリケーションや機密情報など、企業にとって重要な情報が保存されているサーバーOSは、移行に時間がかかることもあり、早期の準備が必要」と富士ソフト担当者。

 

7月16日、23日、30日には、都内で移行の疑問点やサポートなどについて解説するセミナーも開催する。

 

NEC(東京都港区)も、NECやNECグループ会社が手掛けるサポートを紹介したサイト「Windows 情報ポータル」を7月7日に開設。

 

2013年からすでに、サポート終了の内容の冊子2万部を取引先企業を中心に配布するなどして注意を呼び掛けている。

 

(神奈川新聞、2014年7月15日)

 

 

Windows Server 2003 support ends 2015 

 

1 year transition services focus to Windows Server 2003 End-of-Support

 

Server for basic software by Microsoft to provide (OS) "Windows Server 2003" is no longer supported by (Japan time) July 15, 2015.

 

In response to that the deadline is approaching another year, IT companies and the like to open a special website, they're doing everything they proposed the migration service.

 

July 8, opened a "Server Migration Concierge Easy" special site Fuji software (Naka-ku, Yokohama).

 

They have proposed a support and operation to switch to the new server, and cloud migration.

 

"Such as confidential information and business applications, the server OS that important information is stored for companies, may take some time to transition, early preparation is necessary," Fuji software said.

 

July 16th, the 23rd, the 30th, they will hold seminars in Tokyo to explain and support questions and migration.

 

NEC (Minato-ku, Tokyo) also, established site that introduced support for NEC and NEC Group companies and deals with "Windows information portal"  in July 7.

 

It has called attention to custmers, such as the distribution center to the business partners the 20,000 copies of the booklet contents of the support from end of 2013.

 

(Kanagawa Shimbun, 15 Tuesday July 2014 The Roman)

(Translated: R.S.F. toshiki speed news press, Agence France-Presse, 24 Thursday July 2014 The Roman)

 

 

Orbital poised to launch cargo ship to space station

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Orbital poised to launch cargo ship to space station

 

Orbital Sciences Corporation is poised to launch on Sunday its unmanned Cygnus cargo ship packed with more than 3,000 pounds of supplies for astronauts at the International Space Station (ISS).

 

The liftoff is scheduled for 12:52 pm (1652 GMT) aboard an Antares rocket from Wallops Island, Virginia.

 

The mission, named Orb-2, is the second official trip for Orbital's cargo carrier, and is one of eight journeys the company has contracted with NASA.

 

Orb-2 was initially supposed to launch in May, but a Russian-built rocket engine in the Antares rocket failed during a prelaunch test, delaying the mission.

 

Cygnus will carry some 3,300 pounds (1,500 kilos) of cargo to the station, including food and supplies for the crew, scientific experiments, and a pump for the Japanese module to replace one that failed.

 

If launch goes as planned, the Cygnus should arrive at the orbiting outpost on Wednesday, July 16.

 

The weather forecast was 90 percent favorable for takeoff.

 

Coverage of the launch begins on NASA television at noon (1600 GMT).

 

Orbital Sciences and SpaceX are the two private the United States companies that have won billion-dollar contracts with NASA for multiple missions to carry supplies to the International Space Station.

 

NASA lost its capacity to reach the space station after the 30-year space shuttle program ended in 2011.

 

SpaceX and Orbital now make regular resupply journeys with their unmanned cargo ships.

Europe and Russia also have their own spaceships that can tote equipment and provisions to the research outpost.

 

In order for astronauts to get there, nations must buy seats aboard Russia's Soyuz spacecraft, at a cost of $70.7 million each.

 

The spaceship carries three people at a time.

 

Several American companies are competing to be the first to complete a crew vehicle that will restore the United States access to the station in the next few years.

 

Orbital's cargo ships burn up on reentry into Earth's atmosphere, unlike SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft, which makes an intact splash landing in the ocean.

 

Orb-3 is scheduled to launch in November, and three more Cygnus missions are planned for 2015.

 

Copyright © 2014 AFP. All rights reserved.

 

(Agence France-Presse, 13 Sunday July 2014 The Roman)

 

Wednesday, 23 July 2014

Apple signs deal with The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia bookshop in regional first

Apple signs deal with The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia bookshop in regional first

 

[caption id="attachment_267" align="alignnone" width="300"]7a62ca94-fa6d-4f35-9264-baba90b97a9c_16x9_600x338 (Apple has never previously dealt directly with retail outlets headquartered in the Middle East. (Photo courtesy: Apple))[/caption]

 

In the first deal of its kind in the Middle East, Apple has inked an agreement with The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia bookshop Jarir to supply all Apple products through the outlet, as well as providing an after-sales service.

 

In an interview with Al Arabiya News Channel, Jarir’s chairman, Mohammad al-Aqeel, said that this agreement will allow the prices of Apple products sold at Jarir branches to be slightly reduced.

 

Apple has never previously dealt directly with retail outlets headquartered in the Middle East.

 

The agreement will allow Jarir to increase its supply of Apple products and overcome the issue of unavailability in The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia market.

 

Aqeel noted that receiving Apple products in The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia used to take 3-6 months as it was provided by a third party.

 

Apple chief executive officer Tim Cook has previously said that Apple is eyeing the Middle East for increased revenues in the region.

 

(By Staff writer | Al Arabiya News)

 

(Al Arabiya News, 4 Friday July 2014 The Roman)

 

NASA's 'flying saucer' tests new Mars-landing technology

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NASA's 'flying saucer' tests new Mars-landing technology

 

NASA sent a saucer-like vehicle high into the sky to test technology for a future Mars landing, but its parachute tangled when deployed and the spacecraft splashed into the Pacific Ocean.

 

The test began when the United tatesS space agency attached its "Low-Density Supersonic Decelerator" vehicle to a helium balloon the size of a football field, the largest ever deployed, at a military base on the Hawaiian island of Kauai.

 

The balloon carried the saucer high into the sky starting at 1840 GMT.

 

NASA television broadcast the event live.

 

After some 2.5 hours of ascent, when the balloon reached a height of 120,000 feet (36,600 meters), it detached the saucer, which fired its rocket engine and rose to 180,000 feet (54,900 meters) traveling at 3.8 times the speed of sound.

 

At that point the engine was cut off and NASA began its first test -- deploying a doughnut-shaped inflatable device around the saucer dubbed the "Supersonic Inflatable Aerodynamic Decelerator."

 

This successfully slowed the saucer's descent to 2.5 times the speed of sound.

 

As the saucer plunged towards Earth, NASA began its second test -- deploying a giant parachute 36 meters in diameter.

 

The new technologies are being tested at extremely high altitudes similar to those in Mars' upper atmosphere.

 

To land on Mars NASA has been using a parachute system first used in the 1970s, but with heavier spacecraft larger parachutes are needed.

 

The mammoth parachute should have helped the saucer complete a gentle landing on the Pacific Ocean.

 

Instead it failed to fully deploy and the saucer plunged into the water.

 

The parachute "does not look like it deployed that well," said Dan Coatta, one of the mission specialists, interviewed on NASA TV.

 

"It deployed, but it did not fully inflate."

 

Despite the parachute failure, NASA was satisfied with the $150 million test.

 

"What we saw is a very good test," said Coatta, noting that everything went well up to the point of the parachute test.

 

"This is an opportunity to look at the data and learn what happen and apply that for the next test," he said.

 

NASA has two more flights planned to further test the new landing technology.

 

Strong winds had forced NASA to postpone the flight, originally scheduled for a two-week launch window in early June.

 

Copyright © 2014 AFP. All rights reserved.

 

(Agence France-Presse, 29 Sunday June 2014 The Roman)